Surge in Americans Seeking Refugee Status in Canada

Report by “Safarti Tarjuman” International News Desk

Toronto — Canada has reported a sharp rise in refugee claims from U.S. citizens, with more Americans applying for asylum in the first half of 2025 than in all of 2024 — marking the highest level since 2019, according to new data from Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB).

The figures show that 245 Americans filed refugee claims between January and June, a small fraction of Canada’s total 55,000 claims this year. However, the increase highlights growing concerns over civil rights and safety in the United States, particularly among transgender Americans.

While the IRB data does not provide reasons for the claims, immigration lawyers say they are seeing a surge in applications from transgender individuals and families who fear persecution under recent U.S. policies.

Eight Canadian immigration lawyers told Media they had been contacted by Americans — including parents seeking protection for their transgender children. One trans woman from Arizona who filed a claim in Canada this spring described it as her “only option for safety.”

Under President Donald Trump and recent Supreme Court rulings, access to gender-affirming healthcare, participation in sports, military service, and even bathroom rights for transgender people have been severely restricted.

For asylum claims to succeed, applicants must convince Canada’s IRB that no safe refuge exists anywhere in the U.S., a high legal threshold. Despite historically low approval rates for U.S. claimants, recent IRB documentation now includes reports from Human Rights Watch and other groups citing worsening conditions for LGBTQ communities in the U.S.

Under the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between Canada and the U.S., most asylum-seekers who arrive at official border crossings are returned to the first “safe” country they entered. However, the rule does not prevent American citizens from applying for asylum once inside Canada.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said such claims should not undermine protections for individuals “facing actual fear and persecution” elsewhere, suggesting skepticism about American asylum claims in Canada.

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